Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III

In the third installment of the Robot Chicken Star Wars trilogy, a parody of the beloved science fiction franchise, the creators of the hit Adult Swim series bring their unique brand of humor to the table. Combining sketches, short animations, and wacky reenactments, Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III brings together the best and worst of the Star Wars universe in a hilarious and irreverent way. The trilogy begins with a framing device featuring a kid named Chad, who is watching various episodes of Star Wars on his TV. As he watches, the show begins to break down and the characters start to behave erratically, with the various clips from the series starting to blend together in a comedic mashup. One of the standout sketches of the trilogy is the reenactment of the famous " Duel of the Fates" scene from The Phantom Menace. Instead of the epic lightsaber fight between the three Jedi, the version depicted in this show is more like a farcical comedy routine, with the three Jedi masters fighting in a clumsy and awkward manner. Yoda, played by Seth Green in a spot-on impression, is particularly hilarious in this scene, with his wisps of hair flying everywhere as he frantically swings his lightsaber. This sketch is reflective of the larger themes of the show, which lovingly mocks everything from the Star Wars prequels to the original trilogy. It's a show that knows its source material extremely well, but also isn't afraid to poke fun at it. The end result is a series of sketches that are both clever and irreverent, but also frequently hilarious. Another standout sketch features a parody of the iconic Cantina scene from A New Hope, where a multitude of alien species gather to watch a musical performance of a band known as Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes. However, instead of just a straight-up parody, this sketch takes it a step further as a comedic musical number breaks out, with a multitude of alien species all singing along to the tune in their various alien dialects. Even for fans of the original, it's a delightfully bizarre experience that adds a new layer of fun to an already iconic scene. This is just one example of the kind of humor that is on display throughout the trilogy. Other sketches range from a take on the classic lightsaber battle between Anakin and Obi-Wan from Revenge of the Sith, complete with an array of comedic twists and turns, to several sketches that lovingly lampoon the Star Wars prequels, specifically Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. Even the most hard-core fans of the franchise will find themselves guffawing at some of the sketches, and this is all down to the fact that the creators of the show, Seth Green and Matthew Senreich, clearly love the Star Wars saga just as much as the fans themselves. Throughout the show, there is an undercurrent of self-awareness that is hard to ignore, even for fans of the original films. It's a winking nod to the viewers, who are well-aware of their surroundings and the fact that they're watching a reimagining of one of the science fiction franchise's more iconic scenes. With such meta-humor incorporated so seamlessly throughout, audiences can only expect a show that they won't be able to take seriously, but still be completely entertained by as it continues to poke fun at all the right places. In terms of humor, it's undeniable that some of the sketches hit their mark, and some are a bit off the mark, but the fact that the humor varies is an inevitable effect of the format. Overall, however, Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III is an excellent companion piece to the existing Robot Chicken franchise, with plenty of irreverent humor on display to keep you engaged.